Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Chili, and Bacon

Put in your pasta. If I am using the spaghetti shape, I break it in half (this makes it easier to eat), but you do what you want to.

Put in a glub of oil (I use olive oil) and mix it around with the pasta to help the pasta not form clumps while cooking. You want to stir the pasta around every few minutes to keep the clumps from forming

Boil for 11-13 minutes (for Tinkyada brand pasta). This time seems to be the best for our tastes. Your tastes may vary. I recommend that you stand over your boiling pot the first time you make your pasta and check a piece of pasta every couple of minutes to find the best time for your tastes.

Place a large colander in the sink.

After when pasta is done, turn off the heat, remove the pan, and pour the pasta and water into the colander to drain.

Rinse the pasta in the colander under HOT water for 2 FULL minutes while tossing with a spoon or tongs. Trust me on this. You don’t want to use cold water. What you’re doing here is rinsing off the starch that makes the pasta stick together. It’s important to toss the pasta around (gently) to make sure each piece is getting rinsed.

Pour about 1/8 inch of water into the now empty pan that you used to boil it. Put the rinsed pasta in there, pour a few glubs of olive oil on the pasta, and then toss with the oil and water. This will create pasta that doesn’t stick together that gluten-free pasta normally does.

16 ounces pasta (shape is your choice, although penne, spirals, or elbows are nice here)4 tablespoons olive oil4 ounces bacon, diced1 teaspoon dried rosemary6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced6 slices of pickled jalapenos (I find these in the pickles section of our grocery store), seeded and diced (you can also substitute slices of a fresh jalapeno if you desire)–you can also use less if you desire16 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced (I used a food processor for the slicing, but you can do this by hand)4 teaspoons of butter (or extra olive oil)Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)Salt and pepper to taste

Boil and rinse the pasta according to the directions above.

Place a large pot (I like to use my dutch oven, but you can use any large pot with a lid) on medium high heat. Add the 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the bacon and sauté until the bacon starts to turn brown.

Add the garlic, jalapenos, and rosemary and sauté until the garlic is soft—about 2 minutes.

Add the sliced Brussels sprouts, a splash of water, a couple grinding of pepper, and 2 large pinches of salt. Saute until the sprouts just start to soften, about 3 minutes. Spread the sprouts mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Cover, lower heat to simmer, and let steam for about 3 minutes.

After the sprouts mixture has steamed for a few minutes, add the pasta and the butter (or oil) and toss until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat and serve.